References and Inspiration
Leadvone's take on things is unique in the way it takes tropes such as lordships, harems and dueling ... to name a few and expand on them. The text below in intended to explain the smaller things that happen in DP&SW and their relevance. These are primarily from myth, legend and history. The English Aristocracy ...seem to be shown as an invincible group of people that have existed since ...forever. In a sense, they are and have. Many of them descend distantly from Anglo-Saxon warrior-generals and Vikings that invaded England in the years after the fall of the Roman Empire. Of that group, most if not all have intermingled with the centuries of French (Normans) who took over the country after Edward the Confessor died, some decades past the first millenium. This is why there is so much Latin and French in Modern English. Latin was the language of diplomacy (treaties, contracts and... war). And for centuries French was the language of the English Aristocracy. Immensely ironic, I know. Even today, perhaps to a lesser extent, the Upper /and/ Upper-middle classes are at the very least taught intermediate Latin and Ancient Greek, which in the magical world are used for incantations to spells. Dodging Prison and Stealing Witches has a period of time where Alexandra Black, Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood and the other children get privately tutored by Lady Potter , pre-Hogwarts. This goes back to a time when the Aristocracy did not send their children to Boarding school. Instead they were home-schooled. The Royals especially did this - it is a relatively recent (1900s-ish) phenomenon that Prince William and Prince Harry should go to Eton College. But its the new trend. Prince George has already been put down for Eton College. In the 1900s the Decline of the Aristocracy was visible. No British Prime Minister after 1900 had had the title 'Lord'. The Businessmen and the Middle class were rising. Wealth was being made in quantities that the Aristocracy could not keep up with, with their land ownership and properties that they'd often rent out. For a long time they had believed money to be too common for them. This proved to be their undoing (for most of them). Many ceded heirlooms and property to state ownership under the condition that they could live and hold their property. Some however were flexible. LeadVonE built his own aristocracy upon the British Magical World's most well known characters and most recognisable Pureblood names. This goes hand in hand with the nature of real-life Aristocrats of pre-1900 Britain. Even today, Games of Throne's Kit Harington is in fact Aristocratic. Obviously 'Kit Harington' isn't his full name. For less esteemed/respectable members of the British Establishment, one may take a look at Bo Jo - Boris Johnson, the former Mayor of London, Brexiteer and long time bumbling buffoon. His full name is the aristocratic sounding: Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson. Notice his simultaneously French, German and English names. It is also notable that while the English Aristocracy has until very, very recently (and that's debatable) never been multi-cultural, they are/have been multi-ethnic. Boris Johnson himself is Circassian-Turkish, English, German, French... and of Russian Jewish, Muslim and obviously Christian descent. The relative success of the English Aristocracy (heavily contrasting with the French Aristocracy) is due their adaptability in the face of danger. Traditions do not matter when your person is under threat. An entire generation of the Aristocratic men were decimated in World War I as they marched straight into enemy fire obeying the commands of their Aristocratic Commander. The remainder however married into money where they could, or did the best they could under the great levelling of British society. Today, their income from investments and land bound in secretive Aristocractic trusts feed them well. Duke of Westminister for instance is a multi-billionaire and owns large swathes of London - the financial centre of Europe. Some families gained their wealth during the Dissolution of Monastries. They hilariously ransacked churches and cathedrals of their wealth and suppressed Catholicism. And the rest is history. As well as our present. Notes * Wiki: William_the_Conqueror *The Guardian: British Elite *BusinessInsider: The Duke of Sutherland *Telegraph: People with names wealthier than other Britons *Telegraph: Britains blue blood has been mixed for centuries *Wiki: Boris Johnson *Telegraph The UKs super rich *BusinessInsider: Top 25 richest UK *Dissolution of the Monastries Magic in England ... Pagan Worship ... Myths and Legend ... More to follow. References Site Navigation Category:Miscellaneous